The College Board was founded in 1900 by a consortium of leading American colleges and preparatory schools. At the time, each college had its own entrance exams. This created logistical challenges and favored students with access to elite prep schools experienced in coaching for such tests.

Goal: Create a standardized, nationwide system for college admissions.

The College Board initially administered subject-specific entrance exams, all written and graded by committees of college faculty. These were essay-based, labor-intensive, and impractical at scale.

The Birth of the SAT (1920s–1930s)

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) grew out of intelligence testing used in World War I. Psychologist Carl Brigham, a pioneer in psychometric research, helped design the Army Alpha test and later adapted the format for educational use.

1926 – First SAT administered

• 90-minute, multiple-choice exam

• Intended to measure “aptitude” rather than learned knowledge

• Taken by about 8,000 students

• Meant to democratize admissions by identifying promising applicants beyond elite prep schools

By the early 1930s, Harvard president James B. Conant championed the SAT to identify talented students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Harvard began awarding scholarships based in part on SAT scores.

Expansion and Institutionalization (1940s–1950s)

The SAT became the College Board’s flagship exam during World War II. As the U.S. military used standardized tests to classify soldiers, confidence in such testing increased.

Key developments:

• 1942: College Board suspends traditional essay entrance exams; SAT becomes the primary admissions test.

• 1950s: Massive expansion in higher education (GI Bill, rise of state universities) drives widespread adoption.

• 1960: More than 800,000 students take the SAT annually.

The SAT was increasingly seen not only as an aptitude measure but also as a way to ensure broader access to college.

Shift Toward Achievement and Curriculum Alignment (1960s–1990s)

By the 1960s, critiques grew regarding the SAT’s claim to measure innate aptitude. Many educators argued it instead reflected learned skills.

This era saw:

• Creation of SAT Subject Tests (initially “Achievement Tests”)

• Periodic revisions to remove culturally biased questions

• Growth of commercial test-prep industries

• Rising debate about fairness and predictive validity

In practice, the SAT drifted gradually from an “aptitude” test to an assessment of academic skills such as reading comprehension, vocabulary, and math reasoning.

Major Redesigns and Rebranding (1990s–2010s)

1994 Revision

• Removal of antonyms and other vocabulary-heavy items

• Math section expanded to allow calculators and include student-produced responses (grids)

• Alignment with high-school curricula increased

2005 “New SAT”

Driven in part by pressure from the University of California system:

• Test renamed “Scholastic Assessment Test” (eventually simply “SAT,” no acronym)

• Addition of a writing section, including an essay

• Verbal section renamed Critical Reading

• Score scale changed to 2400 (Math, Critical Reading, Writing each out of 800)

This marked the biggest structural shift in SAT history.

2016 Redesign

Under CEO David Coleman, architect of the Common Core:

• Return to 1600-point scale

• Removal of obscure vocabulary

• Essay made optional

• Math section aligned more closely with contemporary high school math standards

• Greater emphasis on textual evidence and quantitative literacy

• No penalties for guessing

This version sought to reduce advantages held by test-prep and to increase transparency.

Digital Transition and Test Strategy (2020s)

COVID-19 era

During the pandemic:

• Many test centers closed

• Over 1,500 colleges shifted to test-optional or test-free policies

• The College Board discontinued SAT Subject Tests and the SAT essay (except in special contexts)

The SAT was forced to rethink its role.

2023–2024: Digital SAT

A major technological overhaul:

• Fully digital, adaptive format

• Shorter test (~2 hours)

• Faster score reporting

• Use of secure testing app and digital tools such as built-in calculator

The digital SAT aims to remain relevant amidst widespread test-optional admissions policies and growing competition from the ACT and holistic review methods.

Summary: How the College Board’s Mission Shaped the SAT

Through more than a century of evolution, the College Board consistently used the SAT to pursue a few enduring goals:

1. Standardization – Reduce reliance on college-specific exams.

2. Access and Meritocracy – Identify talent beyond elite prep schools.

3. Scalability – Enable mass higher education.

4. Curricular Alignment – Shift from “aptitude” to academic skills.

5. Modernization – Adapt to digital testing and changing admissions landscapes.

The SAT remains one of the most recognizable educational assessments in the world, though its role in admissions continues to evolve.